A/N - thanks for sticking with this story and for your reviews. Here's the next installment, especially for Kimberleah on her birthday!

Chapter 6

It was late by the time Brian Donovan found a motel with a vacancy. Holding his sleeping son in his now aching arms, he kicked the door closed behind him and looked with disappointment around the tatty room. At least it was clean, he thought, as he placed his son gently on the queen-sized bed. He looked down at the exhausted child. The bus ride had been hell. Finn was cranky and off-sorts, so Brian decided to get off the bus only a few hours into their journey and looked for somewhere to stay for the night. He needed a break and was so glad that Finn had finally worn himself out. He lay down beside the child, realizing how tired he felt himself. He knew that in the morning he would have to get baby food and formula because he had only one of the cartons left. As he lay there, he considered the events of the day and began to realize the trouble he was in. He was convinced that he had killed Jack Malone and presumed that the might of the FBI and the police would be looking for him. He was a fugitive. He would have to be clever and knew that he had to find a more permanent place for him and his son. Buffalo was still his intended destination. It was a large city, which should make it easy enough to disappear in. It was close to the Canadian border, which gave him options in case of emergency. He considered trying to cross the border and wondered how difficult it would be. He decided that he needed to come up with a plan. Everything had happened so quickly in New York. He hardly had time to think before he found himself on the run. But wherever they ended up, at least they could be a family, he thought as he rolled towards his son and lay there watching him sleep.

The FBI building in Manhattan was quiet because of the late hour. Samantha and her colleagues were exhausted. For hours they had been chasing down Brian's paper trail and following any and every lead they had uncovered. Sam was extra worried, having only discovered that Brian was undergoing treatment for anxiety and possibly depression also. Whatever it was he was suffering from, she now worried even more because he had left his meds at his apartment. They had tried getting in touch with his doctor, but so far they had been unable to reach him. They hoped to have more luck in the morning and find out exactly what they were dealing with. But to Sam, the morning seemed such a long time away. She wanted her son. She could have done with a cuddle from Finn at that stage. Sitting alone at the meeting table, she started to well up, wondering if she'd ever get to cuddle her son again. She contemplated how a day that had started off so perfectly ended up being such a nightmare. She feared how it would all end.

Her concerns were exacerbated knowing what Brian had done to Jack and recognizing that he was suffering from an as yet unconfirmed mental illness. She feared what was going through his mind if it had driven him to this. Or was he thinking straight? Had he planned this all along or was it a crime of opportunity? She knew from investigators in her apartment that he had the where-with-all to pack a bag for the baby, which gave her little comfort. She didn't know which was worse, if Brian knew exactly what he was doing when he hit Jack or if he was off his meds and unaware of his actions and the consequences.

"You should get some rest," a kind voice said with concern, jolting Sam out of her musings.

It was Vivian. She placed an understanding hand on Sam's shoulder, a reminder to the shattered agent that she wasn't alone through this.

"I don't think I could sleep, Viv," Sam replied with a forced smile.

"Well, even if you don't sleep, you should lie down on the sofa in Jack's office, recharge your batteries," she suggested. "You'll need to stay strong... for Finn."

Sam knew Viv was right. There was no point driving herself into the ground and then not being able to do her job or fulfill her role as a mother. She needed a clear head, so she gave Viv's hand a gentle squeeze and thanked her before going to Jack's office. As she entered, she paused momentarily just inside the door, looking at Jack's empty desk and realizing that she could have lost him today. It sent a shiver down her spine and she gave thanks that at least he was going to be okay. She walked over and sat down on the sofa. She pulled a chenille throw from the back of it and made herself comfortable. She hoped she might sleep, but knew that it was most unlikely.

She couldn't stand the thought of her young son, out there, somewhere, without his mother. She missed him. Her thoughts wandered and she recalled how shocked she was when she first realized that she was pregnant. Being a single mom was not part of her life plan. She had a vision for her life. She was going to be successful in her career and if she found the right man, she would settle down and start a family when the time was right. But her unplanned pregnancy quickly blew that idea out the window. Pregnant after a one-night stand, how irresponsible, she thought at the time. But then Brian turned out to be a nice guy, or so it seemed at the time. He wanted to be part of their child's life and Sam realized that maybe she didn't have to do this alone. Her child would have a father. Finn was born and life was good. Then after the car accident, in which Brian was so seriously injured, she found herself feeling responsible for him and while nursing him back to health, she slowly began to fall for him. It was around then that she and Jack decided to call time on their budding relationship. The timing was wrong for them yet again and it seemed for the best. She wanted a chance at being a family. And it was good while it lasted. Brian slowly recovered from his injuries, Finn loved having him around. Samantha went to work every day and Brian would look after Finn and even have dinner ready for her when she got home. It was more than she could ever have hoped. And then things seemed to change as quickly as they had blossomed.

Brian ended up missing out on the overseas job he had been offered before the accident. Then he struggled to find another comparable position. He started to get depressed, often saying that he couldn't support his family working as a barista. Sam tried to be patient and offered as much support and encouragement as she could, but slowly he sank into despair. Interviews were few adn far between. He was stuck in a rut. Then the paranoia started. At first it was little snide comments that Sam laughed off, presuming he was joking with her. But then the comments became more cutting and spiteful and some nights he wouldn't even talk to her. It became very stressful and she knew their happy-ever-after was going to come crashing down.

And when it did, it came down with a bang. The night he hit her, she lost it. She defended herself vigorously, going so far as reaching for her weapon. She pointed it at him and demanded that he leave her apartment. He apologised profusely and cried, begging for forgiveness, but there was no way Samantha was going to allow a cycle of abuse to begin. She had seen it too often in her job, women making excuses for spouses and allowing themselves to become victims. She would not go down that road. She thought she had made the right decision. It was so hard at the time, but she made it swiftly and decisively. She told no one for ages what had happened but then eventually confided in Jack. He reacted angrily at first but quickly realized that she didn't need to have her mistake rubbed in her face. He wanted to find Brian and teach him a lesson, but Sam begged him not to. She knew he wouldn't forgive Brian either, but he listened to her wishes and left him alone. Instead, he stood by her and when she needed a friendly shoulder to cry on, he was that friend. Lately, though, things were starting to look up for them. They still had that connection and had become closer than ever again. She was starting to realise that the man for her had been in front of her all along.

Now, she had to concentrate on her boy. She feared her decision to kick Brian out may have cost her her son. He could be anywhere. He had been missing for hours. Parents vanished with their kids all the time. She prayed that this would not be the case in this instance. She couldn't bear to lose her child.

She lay back on the sofa and tried to dismiss such unimaginable thoughts from floating around her head. She attempted to rest, but it was useless. She just lay there, staring at the ceiling, praying for strength. In the early hours of the morning, Martin arrived into the office and roused her.

"I think we have something," he told her, waving a printed sheet of A4 paper as he spoke.

"What is it?" Sam asked eagerly.

"Brian used his ATM at Penn Station. I'm on my way down there now with some agents to canvas the area. Someone must have seen him," Martin told her.

"I'm coming with you," Sam said, throwing off the blanket and standing up, straightening her clothes as she did so.

Penn Station was eerily quiet when they entered, although this was only to be expected. There were little or no departures due at that hour of the morning. The two agents called to the manager's office and explained the reason they were there. They showed him the printout from the bank and explained that Brian Donovan withdrew four hundred dollars from an ATM in the station. Martin asked the manager to show them the security camera footage from the time of the withdrawal. The manager was happy to oblige. Martin then enquired about the cashiers and looked for information regarding their work shifts. The manager informed them that the employees currently working the ticket desk had been in since 9 pm the previous night. The ATM withdrawal had been made at 8.20 pm, which meant that the cashier at the ticket booth from whom Brian purchased his ticket had gone home.

They would have to rely on the security footage for now. The manager took them to the security office and arranged for the tapes to be played back. There were multiple views available, but they concentrated on the ATM footage and the ticket sales desk. They had been watching for a minute or two when Samantha piped up: "There! That's him."

Martin and the security officer acknowledged her and paused the frame.

"Can we see where he goes from here?" Martin asked eagerly.

"Sure," the officer replied, playing the footage again.

They watched as Brian put his wallet back in his jacket pocket, shifted the weight of the baby on his hip and then turned and walked away. He headed in the direction of the ticket desk. The security officer switched the tape and fast-forwarded to the same time stamp as the previous tape.

"Desk 5," the officer told them. "The teller is Janine Winslow," he said, looking at the employee roster.

"Have you got a number for her?" Samantha asked keenly.

"I can get it," he said, getting up and returning to the manager's office, the two agents following him.

He gave them the number and Martin wasted no time in contacting Ms. Winslow. He called her, apologising for the early hour. He explained what was going on and why he was calling. To his relief, she remembered Brian and Finn. She had remembered the little blonde boy smiling and grabbing his daddy's wallet while he tried to pay. He was anxious to know if she remembered where he was going. To his relief, she was confident in her reply and told them that he purchased a one-way ticket to Buffalo. Martin thanked her and then relayed the information to Samantha.

"Buffalo?" she said with confusion. "Why Buffalo?"

"Has he relatives there?" Martin enquired, expecting that if anyone would know, Samantha would.

"Not that he ever mentioned," Sam replied. "When does the bus get in?" she asked the manager.

He looked up the schedule on his PC and told her that it was due in at 5am.

"That's in a half hour," Sam said, looking at her watch.

"I'll call the police department in Buffalo and have him detained," Martin said with determination.

While she should have felt relief, Sam heart was weighed down with a feeling of dread. Buffalo was so far away. She could get a flight in the morning she thought, silently planning the quickest way to get her son back into her arms again. There was nothing more she could do right now. She would have to wait for confirmation that they had Brian in custody before she could relax.

As she and Martin returned to his car, Sam decided to share her fears.

"What if Brian doesn't come in quietly? What if he resists?" Sam said, as Martin drove.

He looked at her, unable to imagine exactly how she must be feeling.

"He'll do what's best for Finn," Martin told her, knowing that it was what she wanted to hear and hoping it would be true. "He won't risk running."

"What if he does, Martin? He's not taking his meds, probably not thinking clearly. What if he hurts Finn?" Sam asked, feeling sick at the thought.

"Don't go there, Sam," Martin said wisely. "They'll detain him and Finn will be home before you know it."

"I hope so," she said gazing out the window as the dawn broke over Manhattan.

The Greyhound bus pulled into the main bus station in Buffalo fifteen minutes late. Two FBI agents stood and watched as the passengers alighted the bus. The passengers filed passed the agents as they collected their luggage. Each agent held a photo of Brian Donovan in their hand as they examined the passing faces. Soon, the bus was empty and there was still no sign of Donovan or the child. They entered the bus and checked the rows of seat in case he had seen them and was trying to evade them, but he wasn't there. They called after the driver, who was walking away from the bus. They showed him the picture of Donovan and described him to the driver.

"Yeah, yeah, I remember him. The kid cried for hours before they finally got off the bus," the driver told them.

"They got off? Where?" the agents asked.

"Em, Binghamton, I think it was," the driver told them.

"Binghamton?"

"Yeah, a few people got off there. I'm pretty sure he was one of them," the driver told them.

The agents thanked him and then make the unenviable phone call to the Manhattan office. They were aware that the child involved belonged to one of the agents based there. They knew the news would be met with disappointment.

The whole team waited anxiously at the meeting table in the bullpen. The bus should have been in by now. Eventually the telephone rang at Agent Johnson's desk. She took the call from the agents from Buffalo. She listened intently and then thanked them, deliberately avoiding making eye contact with Samantha. There was an air of expectation when she hung up the phone. Everyone studied her expression, trying to gauge what was happening.

"They weren't on the bus," she announced with disillusionment.

"What? What do you mean they weren't on the bus?" Sam asked, her voice confirming her distress. "We know they got on the bus. It was on the tapes."

"I know, Sam. But as far as the driver can remember, they got off after a couple of hours," Vivian told her.

"Where?" Sam demanded to know.

"Binghamton," Vivian replied.

"Binghamton? Why Binghamton?" Sam wondered.

Vivian shrugged. She had no idea. She could only make assumptions.

"It was late. Maybe Finn was tired or hungry and they stopped for something to eat or a hotel? Who knows?" she guessed.

Samantha nodded, hoping it was something so simple.

"How long will it take me to get there?" Sam asked, looking at the other faces sitting around the table.

"Three hours, maybe four," Martin replied. "I'll drive," he said, knowing that they couldn't allow Samantha go on what could turn out to be a wild goose chase on her own.

"Okay," Viv said, nodding towards Martin. "Liaise with local law enforcement in that county and, Martin? Keep in touch."

TBC